A simple tool to help you decide if chasing bonus miles is worth it
I get this question all the time: “Should I put money in the UOB Lady’s Savings Account to get more miles on my credit card?”
Watch this video for the full explanation:
I have created the UOB Lady’s Opportunity Cost Calculator to help you figure out if it’s worth it. Just enter your numbers, and it tells you exactly how much you need to spend each month to make the strategy profitable.
How to Use the Calculator
The calculator has four inputs:
- Alternative Interest Rate: This is what you could earn elsewhere with your money.
- Monthly Average Balance: How much money you’re thinking of putting in the UOB Lady’s Savings Account.
- Mile Valuation: How much you think each mile is worth.
- Card Type: Choose between the regular UOB Lady’s Card or the UOB Lady’s Solitaire Card.
After you enter your numbers, the calculator shows you several important things under “Final Evaluation”:
- Monthly Opportunity Cost: This is how much interest you’re giving up each month by choosing UOB Lady’s Savings Account over your best alternative. Think of it as a monthly fee you’re paying to get bonus miles.
- Value of Bonus Miles: This shows how much your bonus miles (from the UOB Lady’s Savings) are worth if you max out the spending cap of your card every month.
- Break-Even Spending: This is the magic number. It tells you exactly how much you need to spend each month to cover your opportunity cost. If you spend less than this amount, you’re losing interest in the form of opportunity cost. If you spend more, you are benefitting from this strategy.
- Does It Make Sense?: If it says no, even spending the maximum amount every month won’t cover your costs.
Other Things to Consider
The calculator gives you the main picture, but here are a few other things to think about:
- Spending consistency: The calculator assumes you’ll spend the same amount every month. In real life, your spending might go up and down. If you’re close to the break-even point, consider whether you can really maintain that spending level all year.
- Category restrictions: You only get bonus miles on your chosen categories that change each month. Make sure you can actually spend your target amount in those categories.
- For example, if you are a UOB Lady’s Cardholder who has chosen “Dining” as your bonus category and maintains a S$10,000 Monthly Average Balance in your UOB Lady’s Savings Account, you would earn bonus miles from both the card and the savings account for your spending at restaurants. However, you would not earn any bonus miles from the savings account for spending outside of Dining.
Updated on 1st July 2025: This calculator below now reflected the below updates —
From 1 August 2025, the UOB Lady’s Solitaire Card will reduce its monthly bonus cap to S$1,500. This monthly bonus cap is further divided into a strict S$750 cap per bonus category. In other words, if you chose Dining and Travel, the spending cap is S$750 on Dining and S$750 on Travel.
UOB Lady Opportunity Cost Calculator
Enter Your Criterias Here
Fixed Conditions Set By Bank
(S$750 per bonus category from Aug 2025) S$1,500
Final Evaluation
(Foregone Interest):
based on Deposit Level
based on Card Type:
(if max spending cap reached):
To Break Even (Monthly):
(within spending cap)
The Bottom Line
The UOB Lady’s strategy isn’t automatically good or bad. It depends on your situation. Use our calculator as a starting point, but track your own spending behaviour to see if you can consistently achieve it without effort. The best financial strategy is one that fits your natural spending patterns and doesn’t require you to jump through hoops or spend more to make it work.
If this was helpful and if you do decide to apply for the UOB Lady’s Card at any point, you can support my efforts by signing up for the card under Apply Here button below. A little support goes a long way. Thank you in advance.
UOB Lady's Card
Earn 4 miles per dollar on 1 or 2 chosen categories
